News

ScopeNI

Research

NICVA’s research team develops knowledge and provides a strong evidence base on issues that affect the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.

We produce reports for the benefit of sector organisations, researchers, policy makers and organisations interested in the sector. This includes research on workforce, income, volunteers and the composition of the sector

Venue Information

Featured Event

This qualification focuses on improving your personal and professional development and developing key skills essential for leading and managing effective teams. Learners have 4 months access to training materials designed and developed by Global Management Academy. In the Action Learning sets we will discuss and undertake practical work on key elements of the module accessed online. The assignment support sessions have been designed to support learners in their leadership and management journey and also include practical support for completion of assignments.

Supporting People

Launched across the UK in 2003, the Supporting People (SP) programme helps vulnerable individuals and families to live independently. Client groups that benefit include homeless people, people with long-term support needs, such as learning, physical or sensory disabilities and older people who require support to live in their own home, or need a particular type of supported housing. As of 31 March 2014, the cost of providing the SP programme in Northern Ireland amounted to £65.6m per annum. This funded over 19,000 “annual household units” of support.

Aims and Methodology

The primary aim of the project is to estimate the financial benefits associated with SP in Northern Ireland. Sitra has used a financial modelling tool developed by Capgemini on behalf of the Communities and Local Government department in England to assess the impact of the removal of the programme on public finances and service users. The Capgemini model compares the full costs of delivering the SP programme currently with the costs incurred in the absence of SP.

In order to achieve this, the cost of providing SP itself is added to the cost of providing the other services that SP clients require in order to construct a “baseline” figure. The estimated cost of alternative services and dealing with adverse events that would be more likely to happen in the absence of SP constitute the “counterfactual” scenario. The baseline and counterfactual figures are then compared in order to calculate a net benefit of SP programme provision.

The model utilises both empirical data and estimates, made on the basis of judgements by SP experts. In applying the model to Northern Ireland, Sitra validated the assumptions and data: for example, the estimated costs of alternative services. If no Northern Ireland data was available, applicable or likely to make a material difference, guideline figures based on the Capgemini model were used.

Financial Analysis

In summary, the analysis shows that SP saves the public purse £125.05m per annum, compared to its 2013/14 cost of £65.6m. Expressed as a ratio, every £1 spent on the SP services saves the public purse £1.90.

The table below shows the differences between the baseline and counterfactual scenarios:

Subscribe to eNews

A weekly round-up of news, events, jobs, training and funding for the sector, distributed every Monday.
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the end of an eNews email. Alternatively, you can contact us to let us know.
For more information about what we do with personal data, please see our privacy notice. Looking for another NICVA newsletter? Click here.

Email Address *

NICVA's Centre for Economic Empowerment (CEE) is an economic think tank and skills development programme.